More than 11,800 households have benefited from the federal government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) scheme in Bayelsa state.
The Household Uplifting Programme-Conditional Cash Transfer (HUP-CCT) is managed by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, led by the Minister, Hajia Sadiya Farouq.
The focal person, National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP) in the state, Mr. Emmanuel Benson, told newsmen on Friday that the exercise was aimed at reducing poverty in the state and the country.
He said more than 11,800 poor and vulnerable households had so far benefitted from the scheme, initiated by the federal government.
“We have covered almost eight local government areas in Bayelsa, and people are calling for more inclusion and extension of the conditional cash transfer. Today, I can say that the majority of the people in Bayelsa have been fully paid,” he said.
Benson commended President Muhammadu Buhari, the minister and Governor Douye Diri for supporting the programme.
He said the aim was to address poverty in the state, adding that most beneficiaries had already established small businesses with the gesture.
Benson, also the coordinator of N-power and school feeding programmes in the state, expressed the hope that more people would benefit before November ended.
He advised the beneficiaries to utilise the funds judiciously, adding that others, especially traders, had given encouraging feedback to the federal government.
Nembe, Brass, Ogbia, Southern Ijaw, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Yenagoa, Ekeremor and Sagbama local government areas benefitted from the pilot scheme.
The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the federal government for the scheme, urging it not to relent.
(NAN)
